Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet l,

(No Model.)

J. HELM.

GAB, GOUPLING.

No. 385,929. Patented July 10, 1888.

Aas'/ l Y l fr/61111714;

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. HELM.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 385,929. Patented July 10, 1888.

IINTTED STATES l ATTQNT Erica.

JOHN HELM, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS HELM, OF

sr. Louis,

MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,929, dated July 10, 1888.

Serial No. 263,117. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-IN HELM, of Omaha, in the county of Douglas, in the State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful In1- provement in Oar-Couplers, of'which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to car-coupling devices that operate automatically in making the coupling when the draw-heads that contain the coupling apparatus are brought together; and it consists of features of novelty in construction and combination of the several parts, as hereinafter set forth, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Having reference to the drawings, Figure I is a perspective view of a part of my improved coupling device, showing the construction of the coupling-tongues. Fig. II is a perspective view of the metal box containing the couplingtongues, the box itself being adjustable in the draw-head of the car. Fig. III is a top sectional View showing my invention applied to the draw-heads of the cars, coupling them together. Fig. IV is an end elevation ofa boxcar, showing the lever attachment for uncoupling the cars applied. Figs. V and VI are inodications of parts shown in Fig. IV.

Similar letters and figures denote similar parts throughout the drawings.

A represents the draw-head of a car, and B the metal rectangular box containing the gripping-tongues. vThis box should be substair tially constructed to resist the vibrations of the operating parts contained in it, as well as to resist the vibrations incident to its being somewhat loosely fitted in the draw-head, so that it may adjust itself to the variations incident to the juxtaposition of t-he draw-heads in differently-constructed cars.

C represents the grippingtongues, which consist of two parts, each part being formed with a shaped outer end and a lug or shoulder, c, to engage with similar parts in an opposite draw-head. The right or outer part of the gripping-tongue has a shoulder, c5, and is made deeper through its middle port-ion, so as to allow for the opening c at that part, which receives the inner or left tongue, where the two are joined by the pin c2. The inner ends of the tongues are provided with the toggleA joint el and togglearins D D, to which they are joined by the pins c, passing through the holes d2.

E is a strong steel spiral spring fastened at its inner end to the bolt c, which latter passes through the box B by the holes e', and is secured therein. The outer end of the spring E is secured to the central toggle-joint pin, d. The office of the spring E is to draw the togglearms D D toward a straight line, and there by afford the necessary flexibility and hold to the outer ends ofthe gripping-tongue.

The pin b5 holds the box containing the grippingtongues in its place in the draw-head. This pin may be of the pattern in ordinary use for link-coupling, and it passes through the holes provided for it in the draw-head. The openings or slots b* in the box to receive the pin b5 are madeslightly oval or oblong, so as to permit the box to have aslight forward and backward motion upon the pin The holes or slots b3 in the top and bottom of the box receive the connecting pins c3. They are made at a slight angle to each other and a little longer than they are wide, so as to permit of the necessary lateral motion of the pins as the toggle-arms open and close.

F is a pin projecting from the outside of the outer jaw of the gripping-tongue, to which it is iirnily secured at one end, the other end having an eye or loop,f, by which it is connected with the lever f2, Fig. IV, by means of a lilik. The lever f2 is fastened to the end ofthe car in the bracket]CT by the piu f6, upon which it works. The bracket fl is secured to the end of the car by the bolts X X. The upper end of the lever f2 projects above the cartop, near which it is steadied and held incheck bythe bracket f3, which has a lug or shoulder, f5, by which it holds the gripping-tongues out of coupling when the lever assumes the position indicated by the dotted line in Fig. IV. (See Fig. VI.)

By the use of myinvention the work of coupling and uncoupling can all be done from a platforni or from the top of a freightcar, and it renders it unnecessary for a man to imperil himself by going between the cars to perform such work in a safe and satisfactory manner.

IOO

Having thus described my invention,WhatI shown and described, and for the .purpose Vclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters specied. v Patent, is-

The combination, in a car-coupler, of the 3 pin F, gripping-jaws C C, and lever f2, oper- Vtuesses:

ating the same, in conjunction With the pin b5, CHARLES L. KRAHM, Jr., box B, and draw-l1ead A, substantially as H. K. GALBRAITH.

JOHN HELM. 

